In the evening of early summer, the breeze brought a little coolness and dispelled the heat of the day.
It's time for the family to sit around the dining table and eat together.
The Cao family is no exception.
The Cao family’s mansion has a very long history. It has changed owners several times in the past half a century. It has been repaired, refurbished and even rebuilt, but it still retains its original flavor. Compared with many newly built modern mansions, the stone facade, the huge curved glass panes, and the heavy curtains make this house look soaked in time, thick and dignified.
At this time, in the dining room of this house, apart from the fourth son who has not yet returned from studying abroad, Cao Xiong, the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Theater Command, and his eldest son, second son, and third son are all sitting at the dining table, eating quietly.
The four men were very quiet while eating, but their backs were straight and their bodies were loose. Although they all changed into comfortable casual clothes after returning home, the traces of the army's polishing can still be seen.
Even Cao Bin, the second son who did not enter the military but chose to go into politics, is no worse than the other three uniformed men at the dinner table because he was trained strictly by his father since he was a child.
The atmosphere at the dinner table was low, with only the sound of chopsticks touching the edges of the dishes and chewing.
This is not because the relationship between father and son is bad and there is nothing to say, but because Cao Xiong, the patriarch who is over half a century old, has gloomy features and low mood.
The three sons exchanged glances calmly, hoping that the other brothers would take the lead in persuading the old father. But no one knows how to persuade.
This father, who is depressed because of the death of his lover, how can a son open his mouth to persuade him
I had no choice but to continue to chop the rice dullly.
It was Cao Xiong himself who spoke first.
There was no notice, and a decided matter was abruptly announced: "Auntie Cheng is gone, her daughter is still young, I asked Lao Zhou to pick her up in two days, and she will live in our house from now on. .”
The eldest son Cao Yang and the second son Cao Bin glanced at each other.
The third son, Cao Xing, was straightforward and asked, "Does she have any other relatives?"
"No more. Her mother is an only daughter, and her grandparents have passed away long ago. There is no contact with distant relatives. She has been in contact with her for years..." Cao Xiong paused, and said: "Only me. I promised her to take care of her daughter, She was relieved to go."
In the first one, she clearly referred to the little girl who had lost her relatives, but in the latter part, she turned to the woman who had just passed away.
The second child, Cao Bin, and the third child, Cao Xing, all went to see their eldest brother, Cao Yang.
Cao Yang has broad shoulders and narrow waist, and his body is slender and strong, exactly like Cao Xiong when he was young. He sat there without moving his eyebrows: "Okay, let's keep it at home from now on. Regarding the extra pair of chopsticks, Aunt Cheng has been with you for all these years, so I can't say I failed her."
Cao Xiong's mood seemed to be better, but also more gloomy. It is difficult for the sons to grasp.
He finally sighed and put down his chopsticks: "Eat."
"Eat some more..." Cao Bin, the second child, persuaded.
Cao Xiong shook his head, got up and left.
The sons watched their father leave.
In the eyes of outsiders, a man who is over half a century old is still tall and straight, as towering as a mountain. But the sons who are familiar with him know that within a few days, his father has become old.
The sons couldn't help but feel sad.
Outsiders think that in such a powerful family, the son must hate or even hate his father's mistress. This involves a lot of disharmony within the family, as well as interest entanglements that are closely related to these sons.
But in Cao's house, no.
The sons of the Cao family knew that their father could not have done better.
Fifteen years ago, when my mother died, my father was only thirty-nine years old. He is the most popular young man in the military, and there are many people who want to marry him. Moreover, these people all have more or less deep or shallow backgrounds.
Cao Xiong, who was in his prime, looked at the four sons in his family. Cao Yang was fourteen years old, Cao Bin was twelve years old, Cao Xing was ten years old, and Cao An was eight years old—the four children were very neatly spaced two years apart. He thought about it for a long time. Thinking of the relationship between stepmother and stepson, and also considering the possible conflict of interests between the four children left by his wife if he had another child... He finally chose to be celibate.
Of course a man like him would not be without women. But no matter whether it was a play on the spot or a pure transaction, he would never let these women affect his sons.
Because the sons were too young, they didn't realize that even a tough man like their father, in addition to solving their physical needs, also...needs companionship.
Cao Xiong was single like this for seven years, until he met this woman named Cheng Wan eight years ago.
It was a rainy night, and the woman with a protruding belly rushed across the road, wanting to die. Fortunately, Cao Xiong's driver had received special training, and at a critical moment, he drifted away from the woman. However, although Cheng Wan was not hit, she still fell to the ground, and the blood flowed down her calf, meandering and falling on the ground, mixed with the rainwater and disappeared.
After getting out of the car, Cao Xiong carried the woman on the ground to his car without hesitation: "Go to the hospital!"
"Boss!" the guard yelled.
Cao Xiong followed his gaze, and on the side of the road, there was a little girl standing there with tears in her eyes and drenched in the rain, bewildered and terrified.
Same as her mother.
Outside the emergency room of the hospital, the guards went to a convenience store to buy large towels, dried the little girl's hair and body from the rain, and wrapped her up like a cloak.
Cao Xiong was silent with her.
He raised four sons and trained them like recruits, even at home. He was really inexperienced with this kind of soft little girl who couldn't speak too loudly so as not to frighten her.
But he couldn't bear to look at this little girl who was as white and tender as a bunny, feeling uneasy. In front of such a little girl, no matter how cold and tough a man will become soft subconsciously. He then began to speak to her.
"How old?"
"Seven years old."
"Who is she to you?"
"My mother."
"Where's your dad? Do you know dad's phone number? How about we call dad?"
There were tears in the little girl's eyes: "Dad is gone, and an aunt. Mom said he won't come back!"
Cao Xiong paused, but still asked her mother's name and father's phone number. He called her dad.
But the man was very impatient: "I divorced her! She is such an old person, can't she take care of herself? Tell her not to look for me again!"
Fuck Nima! Cao Xiong stared at the hung up phone, what the hell! This man is going to be in front of him now, and he will knock him down with one punch!
The doctor said that the child could not be saved, and when the family members were asked to sign, Cao Xiong signed for Cheng Wan.
The little girl fell asleep on his lap. When Cheng Wan was pushed out of the operating room, she hadn't woken up from the anesthesia. She was pushed into the single ward arranged by Cao Xiong, and there were also arranged nurses to take care of her.
When Cao Xiong put the little girl on another bed, the little girl woke up instead.
"Uncle, are you leaving?" she asked. A seven-year-old child can already tell the difference between "uncle" and "uncle".
"Well, I still have something to do." Cao Xiong said.
With tears in her eyes, the little girl asked, "Where is my mother? Is my mother dead?" She watched with her own eyes, the wheel was only half an arm's length away from where her mother fell, and she also saw the bright red blood flowing from her mother.
Cao Xiong had no choice but to point to the next bed: "She's fine. She's asleep. Don't disturb her. She'll be fine tomorrow."
With this finger, he had just clearly seen Cheng Wan's appearance. I can't say how beautiful it is, it's delicate and beautiful. He frowned and closed his eyes, his face was pale, and he looked sickly.
A weak woman who can't even live without a man.
Cao Xiong entrusted the little girl to the nurse and left the hospital.
So to marry a wife, you still have to marry a woman like his late wife. When he was busy and even went to the front line, only a woman like his late wife could support a family and become the protector of his children. Cao Xiong thought this way on the road.
It was a day later that he had time to visit Cheng Wan in the hospital again. Although his car did not hit her, he still prepared a sum of money as compensation considering the woman's tragic situation.
He heard his guards chatting on the road, only to realize that the woman's situation was worse than he thought.
Her ex-husband sold the house and only left her 200,000 yuan as a lump-sum payment for her daughter's support. The house was the man's premarital property, and the woman had nothing to do. The new owner came to collect the house and asked them to move out as soon as possible. Abandoned by her husband, the woman even lost her shelter from the wind and rain, so she committed suicide in despair.
"Then what are you going to do?" Cao Xiong ignored the "Do Not Smoking" sign in the hospital and asked Cheng Wan while smoking a cigarette.
Cheng Wan was at a loss. Her parents are dead, and she has no other relatives. Her husband was supposed to be her relative, but he abandoned her when she was pregnant to live and fly with other women. Cao Xiong asked her what to do, but she didn't know what to do.
She murmured, not knowing what to say. Facing this man in military uniform with a strong aura, he lowered his head in panic, and involuntarily grasped the thin quilt of the hospital bed with both hands. The knuckles of the slender fingers turned white because of too much force.
His long hair was loosely braided and fell to one shoulder. The sunlight penetrated the glass window and sprinkled on her. The edge of her cheek on one side was illuminated as if it were clear.
Cao Xiong looked at the woman and took a puff of cigarette.
When he was young, he never liked this kind of woman who had no ideas and no ability, but at this moment, Cheng Wan's weak posture touched his heartstrings. Very strange.
He has always been decisive, from being tempted to making a decision, it's just a puff of time.
"I have an old house that is still vacant. I can lend it to you first. You can rest for two days, and I will arrange someone to pick you up," he said.
"This..." Cheng Wan panicked, wanting to say that this is not good. She also instinctively felt that this was really not good.
But Cao Xiong is not a man who can be rejected by others. "Otherwise where do you live? Where does the child live?" He was aggressive, "There must be a place to stay first. Even if you are looking for a house, you must first take care of your health!"
Cheng Wan had a miscarriage, so she should be confinement. As he said, even looking for a house has to wait for the body to recover. Cheng Wan couldn't say no at all. Even, this man forcefully arranged her whereabouts, so that she, who was oppressed by the ensuing cold reality and was about to suffocate, felt like she was finally breathing oxygen again.
She could only hang her neck and say softly: "Then... thank you..."
Her neck is long and white, and when it hangs down, it has a beautiful arc, and it is also a submissive and weak posture.
Satisfied Cao Xiong.
Cheng Wan didn't know that when facing a man like Cao Xiong, when she couldn't refuse him, she was already in his pocket, a bird in his cage.